The Real Reason Many Retailers Don’t Accept American Express

For decades, many of you American Express card members have been denied the ability to use your Amex card in certain stores. How annoying! Why can’t every store accept American Express cards?

The answer is simple: stores want more money in its pockets.

American Express charges stores, or merchants, higher fees than other credit card networks like Visa, Mastercard, and Discover.

When you buy items with your Amex card instead of another credit card, your favorite store will be charged a higher fee. This makes retailers like Costco, independently owned boutiques, and many mom-and-pop stores shy away from accepting your Amex card. The fees charged to stores depend on the type of card processing system the store uses, how many transactions it has, and even the type of store it is. Find out the 8 credit cards you should never open.

According to Nerdwallet, American Express charges merchants almost twice the amount in swipe fees than Visa, Mastercard, and Discover. Amex charges between 2.5 and 3.5 percent, while its competitors charge anywhere between 1.5 and 2.5 percent.

Typically, banks that issue credit cards can make money in ways besides these credit card fees, like by charging interest on your credit card balance for example. But, many Amex holders use an Amex charge card, not a credit card, meaning they pay off their bill every month and don’t incur interest on the balance. Because of this, American Express depends on these merchants fees.

But American Express said in its 2018 Investor Day presentation that over 1.5 million more places in the United States began accepting Amex Cards in 2017. And the company plans to have even more stores accept American Express cards, through “merchant friendly policy changes,” so customers like you can continue making purchases with your Amex cards, especially in areas outside of the United States.